› added 10 years ago

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TIL in 1971, a woman petitioned a Judge for permission to sterilize her “somewhat retarded” daughter. Without a hearing, evidence, or representation for the daughter, the judge granted permission. The daughter later tried to sue the judge, but the Supreme Court voted 5-3 to grant the judge immunity.

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b9ggp TIL that flint and steel causes a spark because when the steel is struck against a hard object, such as flint, tiny shards of iron come off the steel and immediately oxidize, resulting in sparks.
vPB7D TIL during filming of "The Mandalorian" TV series in 2019, the crew ran out of Stormtrooper costumes. As a solution, they contacted a local Star Wars fan group who showed up in their own handmade Stormtrooper outfits to assist with filming.
6940w TIL 2 people are buried on the Georgia’s Savannah Airport runway where hundreds of planes land every day
R5a7l TIL The Zombies 1968 song "A Rose for Emily" was inspired but not based on William Faulkner's story: "I enjoyed the story, but I thought, 'What a beautifully evocative title.' Even though I’d just read the short story, I took the title and spun my own story around," said composer Rod Argent in 2017.
rRkxM TIL the eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) is one of the most unnatural-looking spiders around with it highly contrasting black dots on bright yellow abdomen. It was found in a forest preserve in Singapore in 1924, and it is among the largest crab spiders at one inch in length.